LOS ANGELES -- The Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers entered their mid-September series separated by 19½ games in the standings, but that did nothing to diminish the intensity Thursday night.

On a night when more than 53,000 showed up to Dodger Stadium, the home team took a 3-2 walk-off win in the 10th inning. Adrian Gonzalez's single brought Carl Crawford racing home and added another layer to one of the most heated rivalries in sports, securing a win for Brian Wilson in his first appearance against the organization that drafted him.

Afterward, Gonzalez was asked if it would mean a little extra to the Dodgers if they could clinch the National League West this weekend with the Giants in town.

"Absolutely!" he said, smiling wide.

Wilson had nothing to say, blowing off reporters before and after the game. In the visiting clubhouse, Wilson's former teammates said it wasn't weird to see the right-hander in Dodger blue, even if his hair is stranger than ever.

"Once the at-bat started, it felt like a normal at-bat," said Buster Posey, who flew out to right in a 10th inning matchup with the man he used to catch. "It was fun. You look forward to challenges against good pitchers and he's one of them. Just looking at his velocity on his cutter and fastball, it was pretty close to where it always is."

You can say the same for the rivalry, even if the Giants and Dodgers are headed for drastically different Octobers. With Dodger Stadium shaking, the Giants got off to a quick start.

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Red-hot right-fielder Hunter Pence hit a solo homer just inside the right field foul pole in the second inning. The homer was Pence's 21st of the season, putting him within striking distance of his career-high of 25.

The Giants entered the night riding a franchise record 13-game errorless streak, but they kicked the ball around in the bottom of the second inning while giving up a run. Andre Ethier reached on an infield single off third baseman Pablo Sandoval's glove but was thrown out at second when Marco Scutaro dropped Juan Uribe's pop-up to shallow right field. A.J. Ellis followed with a grounder back to the mound, but Matt Cain's throw sailed into center field, allowing Uribe to advance to third. The former Giant scored on a grounder to second.

"We've played so well," manager Bruce Bochy said. "In that one inning, we just had trouble catching the ball. We had been really doing a nice job defensively, and that's what I've been pleased with."

Cain and Zack Greinke matched zeros into the late innings, but the Dodgers grabbed the lead in the seventh. With a runner on third and two outs, rookie Yasiel Puig jumped on a first pitch fastball and lined it into the left-center field gap for a double.

"I threw the ball right where I wanted to throw it: inside," Cain said. "He put a good swing on it."

The Giants bounced right back. Angel Pagan led off the eighth with a single and promptly stole second. After a walk of Scutaro and a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Belt, the Dodgers intentionally walked Posey to load the bases. Pence chopped Ronald Belisario's first pitch to third, and Uribe stepped on the bag before throwing to first to complete an inning-ending double play.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen had converted 18 straight save opportunities, but the Giants got going right away in the ninth when Sandoval hit a leadoff single. Pinch-runner Juan Perez stole second and took third on a passed ball before scoring on Gregor Blanco's single to center.

Wilson came on for the 10th, walking Belt with one out before retiring Posey and Pence.

"He got us out, you know?" Bochy said. "He did his job. He did a good job for us, and I appreciate what Brian did for us. We were doing all we could to score off of him."

Jeremy Affeldt helped get the ball to Wilson throughout the 2010 title run. On Thursday, he came out of the bullpen after Wilson's shutout inning. Affeldt came off the disabled list Thursday and was making his first appearance since July 20, when he suffered a groin injury. He gave up a leadoff single to Crawford, who took second on a bunt. Gonzalez ended the long night with a shot up the middle.

"Jeremy was ready to go," Bochy said. "They threw out some pretty good at-bats. You've got to give them credit."

Right-hander Chad Gaudin will pitch a simulated game Friday. "Hopefully all goes well and we'll be able to activate him a couple of days after that," Bochy said.